Thur, 1/6/11, 8PM EDT, ESPN
Point Spread: Mid. Tenn St -2
Total: 48
Miami-OH hired Michigan State assistant Don Treadwell as its next head coach on Dec. 31. Treadwell will be in attendance, but defensive backs coach Lance Guidry will coach the RedHawks against Middle Tennessee.
Middle Tennessee only has a 6-6 overall record, but the Blue Raiders won their last three games to become bowl eligible. MTSU has played a tougher schedule, with games against Minnesota, at Memphis and at Georgia Tech.
MIAMI'S EDGE: The strength for the RedHawks is their rushing defense, which allows only 121.38 yards per game and ranks 19th in the nation. Only two of their last eight opponents have rushed for more than 100 yards again Miami. Jerrell Wedge (88 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss) and Evan Harris (85 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss) lead the RedHawks.
MIDDLE TENNESSEE'S EDGE: The Blue Raiders have an outstanding running game that averages 178.50 yards per game (32nd in the nation) and score a respectable 27.5 points per game.
They feature a solid group of runners, led by Phillip Tanner (841 yards, 11 touchdowns), who ranked fourth in the Sun Belt Conference. D.D. Kyles (390 yards, four TDs), Benjamin Cunningham (348 yards, four TDs) and quarterback Dwight Dasher (453, 7 TDs) round out a solid group of backs.
THE QUARTERBACKS: This is a question mark for Miami, where Zac Dysert took a shot to the chest against Bowling Green and suffered a lacerated spleen. Although he finished that game – and led the team to a game-winning field goal – Dysert sat out the last three games. He had thrown for 2,406 yards and 13 touchdowns. Redshirt freshman Austin Boucher picked up the slack by throwing for 831 yards and four touchdowns in the last three games.
Of course, it helps to have a receiver like Armand Robinson on the team. The senior caught 90 passes for 981 yards and six touchdowns and was named Miami's Offensive Player of the Year.
MTSU's Dwight Dasher made his first start in the fifth week against Troy. Since then he's completed 127 of 222 passes for 1,388 yards and seven touchdowns. But Dasher is really more of a runner and isn't the most accurate; he's been intercepted 14 times, although eight of those came in two games. MTSU isn't likely to win if Dasher is expected throw the ball 50 times. He's considered more of an on-field manager than a game changer.
